BREVARD COLLEGE'S 2015 FIELD COURSE IN ICELAND

Two faculty and 10 students participated in Brevard College’s 2015 “Geology of Iceland” field course. Along with a driver from Reykjavík, the group circumnavigated Iceland, visiting most important geological sites along the “Ring Road” and several other parts of the country. The group camped for the entire 23-night excursion, cooking meals in a well-apportioned kitchen/dining tent. Because the course is an experiential introductory level endeavor, many fundamental concepts were introduced with the assistance of the more experienced participants.

Upon arrival at Keflavík airport, the class immediately headed to Reykjanesviti, at the western tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Reykjanes Ridge comes ashore. A well-deserved brunch was served at the home of our Icelandic travel agent after visiting several geothermal sites on the way to Reykjavík. The first full field day took in the obligatory “Golden Circle Tour” that included short hikes at Þingvellir, Gullfoss, and the Haukadalur geyser field. The next two days were spent exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, including a hike to Eldborg spatter cone, camping at Arnarstapi, and tasting putrefied shark.

After a 2-day trip across North Iceland, with site visits at Grábrók cinder cone, Hvitserkur dike, Borgarvirki “fort”, and Akureyri, a lakeshore camp was set at Mývatn for 3 days of exploration. Hikes and visits were conducted at Skútustaðir rootless craters, Dimmuborgir subsidence feature, Hverfell tuff cone, Krafla caldera, Dettifoss, Hrossaborg cinder cone, Námafjall Hverir geothermal area, and the Mývatn Fires and Krafla Fires lava flows, in the northeastern rift zone.

Continuing north, we investigated landscape changes resulting from jökulhlaups at Ásbyrgi and Hljóðaklettar, and the northernmost point at Hraunhafnartangi on the Melrakkasletta peninsula . After exploring the East Iceland fjords, the trip across South Iceland was highlighted by hikes at the glaciers at Hoffelsjökull, Jökulsárlón, Skaftefellsjökull, and Sólheimajökull, as well as the 1783-84 Laki fissure eruption at Laki and Fjaðárglúfur. Fantastic waterfalls abound throughout the region.

Before returning to Reykjavík, a night was spent on the island of Heimaey, exploring the island and climbing Eldfell volcano that erupted in the town of Vestmannaeyjar in 1973.